IT WAS a case of new year, same problems for Newport County AFC as they missed a host of chances before being punished at the death by 10-man Stevenage.

The hosts saw Kurtis Guthrie sent off six minutes before the interval and top scorer Padraig Amond could have had a hat-trick before substitute Alex Revell stole all three points in the 85th minute.

Substitute Josh Sheehan hit the bar in stoppage time but County couldn't rescue a point.

The defeat extends the Exiles’ winless run to five games in League Two and sees them slip to 12th in the table ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Premier League Leicester City.

And injury problems are also mounting before that tie. Andrew Crofts and Matty Dolan were both forced off during Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Crawley Town and neither recovered in time to start at the Lamex Stadium, although Dolan was named on the bench.

Mark O’Brien and Tyreeq Bakinson were recalled but Antoine Semenyo again missed out due to a chest infection.

With O’Brien taking his place in the back three, Scot Bennett moved into central midfield alongside Bakinson and County again looked like a solid hard-to-beat unit until the closing stages.

After a fairly even opening period, their task was made easier when Guthrie was shown a straight red for a reckless studs-up challenge on Fraser Franks.

Before that incident, which led to the home fans booing former Boro defender Franks, there were half chances for both sides.

Amond saw a shot saved in the second minute after a rampaging run into the box from strike partner Jamille Matt.

Robbie Willmott’s free-kick was deflected over the top and Dan Butler’s shot was diverted behind by a defender.

At the other end Guthrie was the main danger man and he was denied by a fine Mickey Demetriou tackle before heading straight at Joe Day from the resulting corner.

But after the red card, the Exiles began to exert more control over the match and create the better chances.

Amond really should have broken the deadlock a minute before half-time after he raced on to a brilliant defence-splitting ball from Bakinson but blazed his shot over.

And the Irishman had three more opportunities in the opening stages of the second half as Willmott began to work his magic out wide.

Amond first headed across the face of goal and just wide and then took too long to get his shot away from a Matt knockdown, before blasting over from Matt’s throughball.

There was a warning sign on the hour when Danny Newton headed inches wide at the far post for the hosts.

But Flynn went for the jugular when he replaced Tyler Forbes with forward Mark Harris and he later brought on Keanu Marsh-Brown for Franks before throwing on Sheehan with a minute to go.

Bennett poked wide under pressure after goalkeeper Paul Farman punched clear and Stevenage substitute Michael Timlin curled one wide at the other end.

It looked like both sides would be forced to settle for a point before Revell’s late hammer blow made it a miserable start to 2018 for the Exiles.

County: Day; Franks (Marsh-Brown, 83), O’Brien, Demetriou; Forbes (Harris, 62), Bennett (Sheehan, 89), Bakinson, Butler; Willmott; Matt, Amond

Subs not used: Townsend, Pipe, Dolan

Booked: Forbes, Franks, Bennett

Referee: Andy Haines 

Attendance: 2,299 (150 County)

Argus star man: Willmott